New ed-tech products and announcements: Spring 2012

The editors of eSchool Media have logged thousands of miles covering various ed-tech trade shows since the start of the year, from Florida and Texas to Washington, D.C.

We’ve spent time at the Florida Educational Technology Conference in Orlando, the Texas Computer Education Association conference in Austin, the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education in Houston, and the Consortium for School Networking’s K-12 Technology Leadership Conference in the nation’s capital, among other shows.

Here’s a roundup of what we’ve seen and heard. (To learn more about each topic, click the corresponding headline.)

Software designed for touch-screen tablets, and new programs for teaching reading and math, were among the many products unveiled at recent ed-tech conferences. Some curriculum software providers also highlighted new research to support the efficacy of their products.

School audio-visual solutions seem to be converging, with major suppliers of AV products releasing their own versions of solutions offered by competitors in an effort to keep pace. Interactive whiteboard makers are releasing projectors, and projector makers are releasing student response systems—making nearly every supplier a one-stop shop for a wide range of presentation tools.

Across the country, states and school districts are grappling with how best to evaluate teachers and administrators in a way that is rigorous, yet fair—and gives them opportunities to grow professionally. Here’s how technology can help.